PUBLISHED IN: CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS

NOTABLE LEADERS IN PHILANTHROPY

“To try to make the world in some way better than you found it is to have a noble motive in life,” wrote Andrew Carnegie in “The Empire of Business.” A man of his word, the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 1911, endowing the foundation with $135 million to promote education and international peace. Two years later, the Rockefeller Foundation was incorporated — also in New York — with magnate John D. Rockefeller making early gifts totaling $100 million.

With this legacy of largesse, small wonder that New York today is home to so many philanthropic endeavors and nonprofit organizations. It’s our privilege to honor 62 individuals who are core to these efforts. In their various roles — executives and board members, directors and founders — the people presented in our 2025 list of Notable Leaders in Philanthropy are toiling for the public good, alleviating youth homelessness, servicing families battling illness, supporting the arts and more.

Read on to learn how our honorees are improving the world.

Chad Cooper, Executive Director, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music

Scope of work: Chad Cooper has provided visionary and strategic leadership at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for ten years. He has tripled the budget, grown outreach sites from 59 locations to 84 and launched an affordable studio rental program.

Nonprofit contribution: Cooper guided the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic without layoffs or reduced wages. He has created high-profi le events, including the free outdoor music festival Open Stages, and launched the Community Music Center in Cypress Hills.

Other contributions: Cooper previously served on the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s board of trustees for two years.

To read the full Crain’s list, click here.